The Consequences of Humankind
by EagleDaydream
Summary: The rating is just a precaution. A story I didn't write for English class-- whoo! :D R&R is always nice. Chapters 14 and 15 are now up. The story is finally FINISHED!
1. Tears

"The Consequences of Humankind"  
  
-- A Lord of the Flies FanFic, Sequel --  
  
Disclaimer -- I don't own Lord of the Flies or ANY characters associated with it. Ok'ee?  
  
Chapter One - Tears  
  
They all stepped up the stairs onto the motor boat. Ralph lead the procession- followed by the littluns, and then Jack and the choir. Ralph could barely contain himself as he walked along. He stepped toward a seat, hanging his head miserably, while tears flowed out of his eyes in a steady stream. The littluns wailed and moaned, and even Jack and the choir boys were not ashamed of their sobbing. Everyone took a seat: Ralph and the littluns on one side, Jack and the choir on the other.  
  
The boat started into motion, as they left the island forever. No one said a word. Ralph buried his head in his hands, while Jack faced the wind, allowing his hair- and his tears to flow past his head. Silence daunted them for a few moments, but finally Ralph stood up, and walked toward Jack. All eyes were upon Ralph, as though he was cradling the conch.  
  
"Shove over," grumbled Ralph to Roger, who sat nearest to Jack.  
  
Roger moved over a bit, and Ralph sat beside Jack in the space that had been provided.  
  
"I want to talk to you," Ralph said clearly to Jack, even though Jack's head was turned in the other direction.  
  
"What?" Jack snapped immediately, turning his head toward Ralph.  
  
Ralph stared at Jack, who was still painted- appearing like a savage. Ralph stared deeply into Jack's eyes, which were decorated on the lids and surrounding skin with smears of red paint. Then, a familiar chant arose in Ralph's mind--  
  
Kill the pig, cut his throat, spill his blood!  
  
Kill the pig, cut his throat, spill his blood!  
  
Ralph did not stare for much longer, for his eyes began to tear up. Ralph ripped his gaze away from Jack's, and stared at the ground, instead.  
  
"N-nothing," he finally stuttered, managing to gain a poseur.  
  
Ralph began to stand, but Roger rose a bit as Ralph did, and then shoved him back down. Ralph stared at Roger- confused and searching for some kind of twisted answer.  
  
"..uh?"  
  
"Go on, talk," Roger said, gesturing toward Jack.  
  
"I don't have anything to say," Ralph said sternly, sniffling after the statement.  
  
"No," Roger growled in protest, "you came over here to say something. Now say it," Roger conluded.  
  
Ralph now took notice that Roger- out of all the others- had not cried. Before he managed to get a retort out, the motor boat halted, stopping beside a cruiser.  
  
"All out onto the cruiser!" called the naval officer.  
  
Everyone stood up instantly. While they started out, Jack cut in front of Ralph, shoving something into Ralph's hands as he did. Ralph hesitated, but he finally looked down as Jack walked on. He gasped; what Jack had left in Ralph's possession was a pair of spectacles- with both lenses broken. 


	2. Roger's Antics

Chapter Two - Roger's Antics  
  
Ralph did not break down into a fit of weeping, but rather, he continued on walking silently. Samneric now lead the procession up onto the ramp used for boarding the cruiser. Ralph was at the tail-end of the line of boys- all disheveled and horribly bruised. He cradled the pair of spectacles carefully. As they all boarded the cruiser, a few more navy officers stepped foreward, and led all of the boys down a long, narrow corridor into their private rooms. As Ralph was lead into his room, he took comfort in the surroundings provided; yet, the condominiums were by no means luxurious to regular eye, but to the boys, they were a welcoming back to civilization.  
  
Ralph dropped immediately onto his bed, and laid there for a few moments, enjoying the silence. Ralph then got up, and headed for the sink. He grabbed a washtowel left on the sink, ran it under hot water, then rubbed it on his face. Immediately, the hot water stung his wounds, and he winced. Ralph finally decided to rest the hot cloth on his face; just as he did, the door to his room suddenly creaked open. Someone stepped inside. Surprised by the sudden entrance, Ralph looked down, as the cloth slipped off of his face. He looked toward the door and nearly screamed.  
  
Roger.  
  
Once Ralph gained a calm poseur, he spoke up.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
Roger meandered in a few steps, much to Ralph's disliking.  
  
"To harass you," Roger said quickly, smirking.  
  
Ralph rolled his eyes and picked up the cloth, and then shoved it into the sink again.  
  
"Alright, what?" Ralph grumbled.  
  
"What were you going to say?" Roger asked.  
  
"Nothing that pertains to you," Ralph snapped, "and why do you care?"  
  
"Everything pertains to me," Roger smirked.  
  
"He's gone batty," Ralph mumbled under his breath.  
  
"What?" Roger asked absently, whilst he examined the room.  
  
"Nevermind you," Ralph said.  
  
"There you go again."  
  
Ralph stayed silently.  
  
"You're coming with me," Roger said as he stepped forward, and grabbed Ralph's arm. Roger's grip on Ralph's arm was tight- unusually strong. Ralph would protest, but he walked along anyhow, somewhat amused by Roger's antics.  
  
Roger lead Ralph out into the corridor, and then toward another room, just three doors down from Ralph's room. Roger opened the door and revealed Jack, standing in front of the sink, cleaned of all paint smears. Suddenly, Ralph felt more at ease. 


	3. A Savage's Regret

Chapter 3: A Savage's Regret  
  
"Roger, Ralph," Jack said, startled by the entrance of the two boys.  
  
"Ask him," Ralph said cluelessly.  
  
"He never said what he meant to back on the boat," Roger stated.  
  
"Oh, yes, that's right," Jack said, stepping forward, placing one hand on his hip- the other hanging loosely at his side. "So, what did you mean to say, anyway?" Jack interrogated.  
  
"I told you: forget it," Ralph muttered.  
  
"I want to hear," snapped Jack.  
  
Ralph hesitated, and looked at Roger. "Let go," Ralph ordered, pulling his arm back a bit.  
  
Roger smirked and tightened his grip on Ralph's arm.  
  
"Stop it!"  
  
"Let him go," Jack commanded.  
  
Roger let go of Ralph, but not before a cold glare was shot toward him.  
  
"He let go. Now tell me," Jack persisted, as he backed away from the door a bit. He continued on toward his bed- sat there, placed his elbows on his knees, and held up his head with his hands.  
  
"I'm listening," he smirked.  
  
"Well, I, uh," Ralph trailed off.  
  
Roger elbowed Ralph in the ribs, causing Ralph to bend over a bit in pain, biting his lip.  
  
"Get on with it," Roger growled.  
  
"I wanted to know why you hunted me- why you wanted to.. to.. kill me," Ralph said, nearly chirping at the statement's conclusion.  
  
"I.." Jack said, then trailed off, gasping meanwhile  
  
Roger didn't say a word, but he listened attentively. Ralph heaved a sigh as Jack uttered constant vowels- but never sead a complete word.  
  
The silence other than Jack's inarticulate speaking was deafening. But then, Ralph realized something: he was in a room with two killers. To this new thought, Ralph wasn't sure how to react. He was more afraid of Roger, truthfully. Roger had not even cleaned up since they got off of the motor boat. Several minutes of silence passed; even Jack's incomplete speaking came to an end shortly.  
  
Finally, Jack broke the silence as he curled up into a ball on his bed, and wept quietly.  
  
"It's all my fault," Jack hoarsely cried. "My fault," he whispered.  
  
"Jack," Ralph said sympathetically.  
  
"Go," Jack yelled through his sobs, "just go!"  
  
"Come on," growled Roger, snatching Ralph's arm, and pulling him outside of the room. Ralph shut the door with his free hand, and then turned around. Roger was glaring menacingly.  
  
"Happy with your reply?" Roger scowled.  
  
Ralph snapped his arm back, freeing himself from Roger's grip. He turned around, and walked back to his own room. 


	4. Enough

Chapter 4: Enough  
  
Ralph stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him. He climbed onto his bed and punched a pillow, then hugged it to his chest.  
  
"It wasn't your fault, Jack," Ralph whimpered to himself, though he spoke as though Jack was listening. "It was mine. I was the chief. I let these things happen," Ralph continued.  
  
After a few moments of silence, Ralph got off of his bed.  
  
"Shirt," he mumbled. "Pants, even," Ralph chuckled, looking at his tattered shorts. He walked toward a closet at the side of the room, and picked out a white shirt and black pants. He dressed in the outfit, then looked at himself bemusedly. Clean. He was clean. He wore good clothes-- he was not covered in sand.  
  
Suddenly, the door opened, and Ralph turned around, looking in the door's direction, expecting to see Roger. Yet instead, Ralph saw Jack clutching a piece from a blanket in his hand, tears streaming down his face.  
  
"Jack," Ralph said, surprised.  
  
Jack turned around, stared at the door, then closed it.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ralph," Jack said clearly. "It's all my fault. I've ruined my own life, killed two people, and scarred everyone else's life meanwhile," he said, through his weeping. He banged his head against the door a few times.  
  
"Stop it," Ralph said concernedly.  
  
Jack rested his forehead against the door, and continued to cry. He stepped aside and faced Ralph.  
  
"Kill me-- just.. feel free to kill me. I don't deserve to live," Jack wept.  
  
"Jesus, Jack, stop that talk," Ralph growled.  
  
"I'm serious," sniffled Jack.  
  
Ralph shook his head. "I'm not killing anyone," he simply retorted.  
  
Jack turned around again, and punched the door in frustration. A surge of pain ran through Jack's arm, which he then cradled; he slid to the floor, crying more than ever.  
  
"Enough," Ralph sighed, kneeling a few feet away from Jack.  
  
Jack looked up at Ralph for a moment, but then hung his head in shame and misery.  
  
"Roger- he'll do it," Jack grumbled.  
  
"Yes, he will," Ralph protested. "No one is going to kill anyone."  
  
"I already did," sobbed Jack.  
  
"That was in the past, and you didn't kill anyone individually," Ralph explained.  
  
Jack did not counter the statement.  
  
"No one's going to kill you, Jack," Ralph said firmly. "Now, get some sleep," he chuckled, "you'll be better in the morning." 


	5. Boys Will Be Boys

Chapter 5 - Boys Will Be Boys  
  
Morning.  
  
Yes. It was better in the morning.  
  
Jack stumbled out of his bed, and shuffled over to the mirror, taking a look at his fairly disgruntled figure. He made a fist, and held it up to the mirror, noticing that there was a bruise, but it was small and did not hurt much.  
  
"So," Jack muttered to his reflection, "Ralph was right."  
  
Nevertheless, he was in a sour mood, but indeed, he was much improved from the previous night- in his outburst of tears and regret. Jack snapped out of reminiscing, and back into reality, and continued to stare at the mirror. He saw a small tear flowing down his cheek; he simply wiped it off and forgot about it.  
  
Jack turned around and stared out the window, peering into the bright blue sky that hung loftily above the water. He sighed lethargically, but continued on with a morning procedure.  
  
He stepped over to the closet in his room and pulled out some suitable clothes- much like what Ralph had been wearing the day before, and he dressed in them. Jack walked over to the door after dressing, and slowly opened it. He peered out into the hall, and noticed that the only ones present were two navy officers talking amongst themselves. Jack moved over, so that he was completely out of the room, but hiding behind a panel of a wall; he stayed silent and unnoticed.  
  
"Simon," one said, "'tis a shame."  
  
The second officer spoke up: "Much a shame- beaten to death by his own.. tribe-mates," he said reluctantly.  
  
Jack's heart wrenched. Simon. He felt like weeping over the memory once again, but slipped back into his room quietly. As he turned around to face the interior of his room, he screeched.  
  
"Roger!" Jack shouted. "How the hell did you get in here?!"  
  
"I have my ways," Roger sneered.  
  
"Well, don't do that again," said Jack.  
  
"I heard them out there, too, you know," Roger finally stated, after about a full minute of silence.  
  
"What're you getting at?" Jack asked inquisitively.  
  
"Simon," Roger replied blatantly, his words lacking any emotion.  
  
"What about Simon?" Jack asked.  
  
"Well.. he's dead," Roger shrugged.  
  
Jack almost laughed. "Yes," he smirked, "I've established that."  
  
"I mean.. you look like you have something to say about him," Roger continued on- trying to explain.  
  
Jack strolled over to a chair, and sat down, yet again, resting his head on his hands.  
  
"We're murderers, you know that?" Jack asked.  
  
Roger took quite a while to respond. "Yeah, well- I mean.. that's not important," Roger said, quite cluelessly.  
  
"Oh?" Jack asked, emphasizing the word in a surprised tone.  
  
Roger shrugged, "You know what they say-- boys will be boys."  
  
Jack was shocked. "Boys will be boys?!" he shouted. He then lowered his voice to a mere whisper, "If you think murder is acceptable because boys will be boys, you're insane." He continued, "Simon is dead because of us, and you killed Piggy."  
  
Roger defended himself: "You never liked him!"  
  
"But that's no reason to go ahead and kill him!" Jack snapped back. Jack once again continued speaking. "Get out of my room. Think about it while you're gone. Life is precious, and I've realized that since we've gotten on this boat-- and you should, too."  
  
Roger simply stood in place, saying nothing.  
  
"Get the bloody hell out of my room!" Jack demanded in a dangerous tone.  
  
Roger exited Jack's room-- quickly. 


	6. How Wise

Chapter 6 - How Wise  
  
As Roger left the room, Jack calmed a bit, and paced around his room, stretching somewhat here and there. Perhaps he was proud of what he had just done: exiling Roger temporarily- from his room, at least. In fact, it was certain; Jack was proud of himself. It was a certainly strange feeling; pride reigned in place of sorrow and regret. But why? He could only ponder such questions to himself. If he had jabbered on to Ralph or Roger himself-- well, he just wouldn't bother to.  
  
There was a knock on the door. Jack cautiously stepped over toward the door, and opened it slowly.  
  
"Heard some shouting in here. Everything alright, chap?" a navy officer asked, peeking his head in the door.  
  
Jack nodded, "Yeah, sure, everything's fine."  
  
The navy officer nodded swiftly, and turned around, heading out of Jack's room. Yet, the officer left the door open, leaving stepping out into the hallway once again tempting. And thus, Jack strolled out into the corridor, closing the door behind him. He gazed to the left, then to the right, where he spotted Samneric, who froze up immediately. They were both clean, wearing matching navy-blue shirts, and navy-blue pants. The twins, alright.  
  
"I'm not going to hurt you," Jack sniggered.  
  
Samneric eased a little.  
  
"No offense, we-"  
  
"-just thought you'd be-"  
  
"-like Roger-"  
  
"-you know-"  
  
"-still a-"  
  
"savage, and all," Eric finished off.  
  
Jack shrugged, "No, I don't want to relive that life again."  
  
Samneric nodded in response, and Jack continued on walking down the hallway. He counted the doors as he walked ahead: one, two, and three. Jack then opened the door to the room freely; it was Ralph's room.  
  
Ralph had been resting on his bed, and immediately, he peered over at the door.  
  
"Jack," he said, "what a.. nice surprise," he laughed for a lack of better words.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Jack said, fumbling his way completely in, then quietly closing the door behind him. Jack walked onward, and sat in a chair in the corner of the room; he gazed around a bit.  
  
"So, did you come here to tell me something in particular?" Ralph asked curiously.  
  
"Roger's insane, you know that?" Jack answered quickly.  
  
"Yeah, I realized that back on the island," Ralph smirked.  
  
"Guess so," Jack sighed, "but I didn't see it then. Strange."  
  
Ralph contemplated Jack's statement silently, but then spoke up: "'Cause you were.. the Chief back there, not exactly the Jack Merridew that you are now," Ralph mused aloud.  
  
"Yeah, you're right, but what a reputation I've created for myself," Jack said.  
  
There was a long pause after his statement; neither Ralph nor Jack said a word, but instead, just stared off around the room. Finally, Jack took a breath, and spoke quite quietly.  
  
"I think we're getting better," he said.  
  
And how wise he was. 


	7. Peace and a Side of Hope

Chapter Seven - Hope and a Side of Peace  
  
"Yes, Jack, we are getting better," Ralph said, a smile accenting his face.  
  
Jack grinned merrily, and nodded simply. Joy, joy. Is this what he was finally feeling once again? Jack had blatantly lost his sense of true happiness and joy ever since he had been caught within the downward spiral of the condition on the island. Yes, he had realized that at one point, things were not going quite well for them, no matter how much the boys had accused him of being oblivious of it.  
  
There was a gentle rapping on the door, and Ralph answered it, opening the door to reveal a young navy officer, aged perhaps in his early twenties. The man had a pleasant smile upon his face.  
  
"'ello, boys!" he greeted cheerfully. "I'm officer Smith, and just here to let you know that we will be finishing this sea voyage soon," he explained.  
  
There was a tingling of excitement within both of the boys, at that point.  
  
"We should be arriving tomorrow afternoon, and you'll be home again," Officer Smith continued.  
  
Ralph and Jack nodded, but then, their mood grew dimmer, as the bright and cheerful smile faded from the officer's face; Ralph began to look worried, himself.  
  
"But, you see, the thing is.." he trailed off. "Most of you live in the London area, correct?"  
  
Jack and Ralph nodded in unison.  
  
"The war's still going on, and there was some damage-- that's all I'm saying," the officer said quickly, causing loud gasps to come from the two boys.  
  
Jack's heart sunk, as rubbed his hands against his head, and Ralph turned away from the officer. Officer Smith nodded understandingly, and exited the room, abruptly closing the door behind him. Jack and Ralph stared at each other in a blank silence- not sure of what to do, or what to say, in fear of slipping out the wrong words.  
  
Finally, there was movement. Jack leaned back in his chair, and hit his head against the wall, but rested it upon the top of the back of the chair, and began crying- yet again. Seeing the movement as a chance to move freely, as well, Ralph leaned against the door, as tears formed in his eyes.  
  
"I don't want to go back, Ralph," Jack spoke, out of the blue.  
  
"To tell you the truth," Ralph sighed, "I don't either- especially carrying that.. you know.. fear that-" Ralph was silenced as Jack lifted his head, and nodded.  
  
"I know," said Jack, simply.  
  
Ralph sighed, "Come on, let's try to get our minds off of this-- let's get something to eat."  
  
Jack stood up without a word and followed Ralph out quietly. They reached the ship's dining area, and sat at a clean, grey table. Ralph noticed Maurice, Samneric, and Robert sitting a few tables away, and waved to them. Maurice stood up, and made his way over to Jack and Ralph's table, causing the rest of them to follow.  
  
"Hey," Maurice greeted cheerily.  
  
Jack looked to his side, where Maurice was standing, and Maurice immediately noticed Jack's face: red from the crying he had done.  
  
"Something wrong?" Maurice asked Jack.  
  
"Yeah-"  
  
"-you look-"  
  
"-a little-"  
  
"-down," Samneric rambled.  
  
"Apparently, you haven't heard the news," Jack said gloomily.  
  
"News? What news?" Robert interrupted curiously.  
  
"London, the area around London-- we're not sure-- was damaged," Ralph said flatly.  
  
Maurice, Robert, and Samneric gasped unanimously, each with an expression of total shock upon their face.  
  
"And there was damage- enough damage to make it important for an officer to inform us of it," Jack added in.  
  
Robert whined nervously, yet no one dared to utter a phrase in response to Jack's news.  
  
A waiter approached the table, grinning broadly.  
  
"Can I get you boys anything?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," Jack smirked, "hope and a side of peace would be nice."  
  
They all chuckled. 


	8. This is Reality

Chapter 8 - This Is Reality  
  
The waiter grinned at Jack's comment. "No, really, what do you want?"  
  
"Nothing for me," Jack commented immediately, shaking his head, "I don't have much of an appetite, thanks."  
  
The waiter nodded, and looked to Ralph.  
  
"Just.. water," Ralph replied.  
  
Water. He had enough of that over the past-- whatever amount of time it had been; he had lost track early into his count of days they had been there.  
  
The waiter shrugged, but took the order, anyhow. He stepped aside, and returned to the kitchen area. Maurice, Robert, and Samneric were still in a state of shock from hearing the news.  
  
"Well, we're a lively bunch," Maurice smirked.  
  
They all laughed in response, silently attempting to banish the daunting fear from their minds. As the waiter returned to the table, all of the boys' eyes shifted to follow the waiter's movements. The waiter placed a tray upon the table, with Ralph's glass of water and a small slip of paper upon it.  
  
Ralph picked up the paper, and glanced over it. The paper read, 'No charge. Our prayers are with you.' Once seeing that Ralph had read the paper, the waiter swiftly walked away, leaving Ralph without a moment to speak. Ralph flattened the paper out, and placed it at an angle upon the table, so that the other boys could read it. A fairly morose sigh swept through the air as they read the note. Ralph placed the paper back on the tray, but then smiled at the others.  
  
"Nice officers on this ship, huh?" Ralph asked; each of them nodded.  
  
"All polite, and not too officious, either," Jack contributed thoughtfully.  
  
"Thankfully," Samneric chuckled.  
  
The chatter continued on, as long as Ralph still had water in his glass. Yet, once Ralph finished, the meeting subsided, and they all walked off toward the corridor. Everyone except Samneric went into their rooms.  
  
A few minutes, loud, shouting voices rang down the corridor. "Hey guys!" Samneric called.  
  
Each boy stumbled out of their rooms, and rushed out to Samneric, who were out on the viewing deck. Samneric pointed up to the sky, their fingers following a luminous shooting star. A chorus of awed gasps rang through the crowd.  
  
"Make a wish!" Bill shouted, and each boy did, silently.  
  
"Hope," Jack said aloud, thoughtfully.  
  
Everyone except Samneric, Ralph, Robert, and Maurice displayed a confused expression upon their faces. Soon after, all the boys headed back to their rooms, all ready to shift into slumber.  
  
The morning sun awoke Jack, and he gazed out of a small circular window once he got out of bed. He gazed past the deep blue waters, into the two-toned sky, admiring the sunrise. Jack dressed appropriately once he had lost a good portion of his drowsiness, and then walked out into the corridor.  
  
"Top of the morning to you, Jack Merridew," a navy officer, standing at the end of the corridor greeted quietly.  
  
Jack grinned, and walked out onto the deck, where he saw Roger, who was dressed in neat, clean clothes, and silently weeping to himself.  
  
"Roger?" Jack called in disbelief.  
  
Roger nodded, looking down at the boards on the deck.  
  
"This is reality, Jack," Roger wept softly. "We're going back to a land that has taken a punch of damage from the war-- does that sound like a good time to you?"  
  
"No, but I don't w-" Jack said, but was cut off.  
  
"You don't want to fear it, right?" Roger growled, looking up abruptly.  
  
Jack didn't respond.  
  
"Who knows what really happened there. I never cared about the war, but now that I've seen-" Roger jabbered on, but then fell into a bout of weeping, once again.  
  
Jack understood exactly what Roger had meant.  
  
"We all had to see it happen, we all participated. There's nothing left to say," Jack admitted quietly. 


	9. Land

Chapter 9 - Land  
  
The morning hours painfully ticked away, as slow as they could possibly go, it seemed, for all of them. Anxiety taunted the atmosphere on the ship throughout the day, as all of the older boys seemed to mentally battle whether they wanted to return to their homes or not.  
  
Roger had gotten some sense knocked into him by Jack, and was back in his room again. Ralph, Maurice, and Jack were all out on the viewing deck, admiring the deep blue waters. All of the other boys were in their rooms, leaving the three in peace. The sun glittered over the faces of the three boys, as they gazed outward.  
  
"Only a little bit more," said Maurice, somewhat nervously.  
  
"Yeah," echoed a chorus of the voices of Jack and Ralph, in a tone of unison.  
  
Silence hung in the air, following that statement, but no one seemed to find it awkward.  
  
Two navy officers stepped out onto the deck, grinning broadly.  
  
"Boys, we'll be pulling into port in about a half hour," the taller of the two announced proudly.  
  
The three gasped quietly, their eyes transfixed on each other; no one put in a word, but rather, just mused silently to themselves. The two officers strolled away, leaving the boys shaking in nervousness.  
  
"It'll be fine," Ralph assured the others aloud.  
  
Jack nodded, and stared off blankly, while Maurice fidgeted every now and then in his seat. Ralph, meanwhile, took to biting on his fingernails subconsciously.  
  
"What do you think we'll return to?" Jack asked reluctantly.  
  
"I have no idea," Ralph sighed, looking outward to the water, once again.  
  
"And frankly, I don't want to know," Maurice added in, while a bit of a chuckling tone.  
  
The three boys grinned, glad of the slight comic relief that came from Maurice. Proceeding it, although, silence daunted the three for quite a while. Suddenly, a few littluns emerged from their rooms, one by one, creating a rather large pack of them. The mass huddled forward onto the deck, as they gazed ahead, past the water.  
  
"We get to go home!" a littlun squealed happily.  
  
"Our h-ho-ho--," Percival cried, his voice barely louder than the others'.  
  
The littluns merely ignored Percival, but Jack, Ralph, and Maurice knew what Percival's quivering was about. None of the three boys spoke, but the mindless jabber of the littluns continued on.  
  
Suddenly, a shriek broke the mellowed noise.  
  
"Land! Land!" a littlun shouted excitedly.  
  
"No," Jack gasped, his voice barely above a whisper.  
  
The older boys came spilling from their rooms to the viewing deck; each gazed off to where the littluns had begun pointing, and gasped in amazement at the land ahead.  
  
"Land!" a buzz sounded through the group.  
  
Finally, Ralph, Jack, and Maurice arose from their seats to get a better look of the faint land the others were pointing at.  
  
"Home!" one of the littluns called.  
  
The horn of the ship sounded, and it drew smiles to all of the littluns' faces. Jack turned around quickly, and stared at the floorboards of the viewing deck with a piercing gaze. The boat finally neared the closest deck, and slowed to a stop. The excitement slightly drew down, and then the two officers that Jack, Ralph, and Maurice had seen earlier stepped up to the deck.  
  
"One line! Single file! The stairs are bow-side, near the Captain's quarters!" they called.  
  
Everyone assembled into a straight line; the littluns lead out, and Ralph, Jack, and Maurice lagged behind, all the way at the back of the line. As they were lead down the stairs, each boy looked over the smiling faces in the crowd. 


	10. The Lucky Ones

Chapter 10 - The Lucky Ones  
  
As they made their fateful climb down the stairs of the cruiser, each boy walking downward had a different reaction to the situation. The littluns, of course, were the most eager of all; they leapt down the stairs, running to their families with bright smiles on their faces.  
  
They were the lucky ones.  
  
The older boys, such as Ralph, Jack, and Maurice, were dreading the moment when they would reach the bottom of the climb. Thus, their pace was flowing as slow as it could possibly go. They didn't know what would become of them.  
  
"I don't want to step down there," Jack whispered to Ralph, as they strolled downward.  
  
"It doesn't seem like any of us, well, besides the littluns, do," Ralph admitted.  
  
"Ralph," Jack sighed, "what'll we do?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Don't act naive, you know what I mean."  
  
"No, I really--"  
  
"Sure, the littluns will forget this once they're older, they won't remember the horror of all of it-- sure they might have faint memories, like we do of when we were younger, but they won't remember like we will."  
  
Ralph was silent.  
  
"What'll we do?" Jack asked again.  
  
Before Ralph got the chance to reply, the two reached the bottom stair. Ralph took a gasp of breath and stepped down, looking outward at the many faces gathered before them. Jack followed Ralph down, but with a bit more reluctance than Ralph had shown.  
  
From the crowd, a woman came rushing forward, followed by a rather tall man-- both with fair hair.  
  
"Ralph!" the woman called.  
  
Ralph smiled as best he could, and hugged the woman.  
  
Jack stepped a few feet away from Ralph, his own eyes peering for an emerging pair from the crowd.  
  
"I missed you, mother," Ralph said quietly.  
  
The man smiled fondly at his son, but did not speak a word. Ralph turned around, and gazed at Jack; he wasn't about to forget him just because he had seen his parents again.  
  
"You have to write to me, Jack," Ralph said, with a smile.  
  
"I will," Jack said blankly, "but I don't know your address."  
  
"Uh, mum," Ralph said, looking back at his mother.  
  
Ralph's mother chuckled, and snatched a paper and pen from her pocket, jotting down the address; Jack waited, running his fingers through his red hair idly.  
  
"Here," Ralph's mother said, handing the paper to Jack.  
  
Jack took the paper, looked it over, and nodded.  
  
"Well, let's go home," Ralph's father finally spoke, leading back toward the slowly diminishing crowd.  
  
Jack allowed a small sigh to emerge from his lips. Ralph turned and nodded his head to his father, but then looked back at Jack concernedly.  
  
"You going to be alright?" Ralph asked Jack quietly.  
  
Jack nodded, "Yeah, I'll.. be fine."  
  
Ralph smiled weakly, then waved, and took off as his mother began summoning him away.  
  
"G'bye, Ralph," Jack called out, though his tone did not stand very high against the disconnected jabber of the crowd.  
  
Ralph heard Jack, although.  
  
"Bye, Jack," Ralph called back, as he disappeared into the crowd.  
  
Bits of their conversation earlier rang over and over in Jack's head as he continued to shift his gaze around the crowd--  
  
'What'll we do?' 'Don't act naive.' 'But they won't remember like we will..' 


	11. Welcome Home?

Chapter 11 - Welcome Home?

Ralph took a seat in the back of a new black car silently. As his parents got in the car, he stared out the window with a blank expression- his gaze transfixed on nothing in particular. During the entire trip to his house, a word was not spoken; Ralph's parents had a silent sympathy for him.

After a car ride that seemed to be too short to have covered the distance, Ralph opened the car door, and stepped onto the pathway leading up to his house. He stared at the towering building before him with a mild confusion.

"Welcome home," his father said quietly, stepping to Ralph's side.

"This isn't my home," Ralph mumbled under his breath.

"What's that?" asked his mother, as she approached Ralph.

"Nothing," Ralph shrugged.

His parents gave him a stare of concern, but they did not linger on the moment. Rather, they lead the way up the narrow cobblestone path slowly. Thoughts began rushing through Ralph's head as he made that silent journey. He was not leading the procession this time; his leadership qualities that he had developed back on the island were no longer in use. He was a child here, even though he had grown up more than others would ever recognize.

Ralph entered the house, and gazed around at the dwelling. He remembered the sights quickly; images of playing upon the soft red rug in front of the crackling fireplace came back to him, but the fire transformed the scene into a memory of the island- of Jack and his tribe dancing around the fire- of Simon- of Piggy. Ralph quickly shook his head, and gazed around the rest of the house.

"Your room is up the stairs, down to the end of the hall, and then to the left-- it's the last door," Ralph's mother said softly- almost in a reluctant manner to her son.

Ralph glared at her.

"I know," he mumbled.

Ralph made his way up the staircase, its polished chestnut wood reflecting the light from the windows around the staircase. On his way up, he heard some faint mumbling.

"He's changed, dear, and he'll need to get used to being home once again," he heard his father say quietly.

Ralph sighed as he continued to climb the stairs, letting his father's words sink in for the moment. Ralph reached the top of the stairs, and he made his way down the narrow hallway- which was noticeably gathering dust in the corners. He reached the last door on the left of the hallway; he stood before the door for a moment, and took a deep breath, and finally grasped the cold, metal doorknob, and opened it. He stepped inside the room, which was cleaned, unlike what he had gotten used to. His bed was made up neatly, the other furniture was polished, and the wooden floorboards beneath his feet were not cluttered with various objects. It had been so long.

He quickly backed out of the room, and slammed the door behind him. He charged his way down the stairs, and just as he had leapt from the last stair down to the floor, there were a few knocks at the door. Ralph shuffled forward, and opened the door, revealing a boy about his age, holding and gazing over a piece of paper.

"Jack," he gasped.


	12. Affirmation

Chapter 12: Affirmation  
  
Ralph stood upright, staring in shock at the sight before his eyes. He wasn't sure how to react to Jack's presence. Was he supposed to be confused as to why Jack had found his was to his doorstep? Or was he supposed to be glad that he could find relief in someone who had probably been experiencing the same thoughts that he had? Either way, Ralph felt a bit of both emotions.  
  
Yet, a smile managed to break over his lips after an awkward moment.  
  
"Now, Jack, I gave you my address to write to, but I never expected you to really show up," Ralph smirked.  
  
Despite the surge of strange emotions he had been through over the day, he managed to make a witty comment. He was used to Jack.  
  
Jack managed to smile rather weakly.  
  
"Who was at the door?" a curious voice came from behind Ralph-- it was his mother, waddling forward to the door.  
  
"It's--" Ralph began, turning his head to look behind him, his smile fading a bit.  
  
"Jack! What a nice surprise!" Ralph's mother interrupted.  
  
Ralph looked back at Jack, and a bit of a smirk crawled back over his mouth. They both realized that the words Ralph's mother had just said sounded all too familiar; they remembered the previous day on the boat, and both seemed to be recalling the event.  
  
{ "Jack," he said, "what a.. nice surprise," he laughed for a lack of better words.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Jack said, fumbling his way completely in, then quietly closing the door behind him. Jack walked onward, and sat in a chair in the corner of the room; he gazed around a bit. }  
  
"I don't mean to be rude, Jack, but- have we covered why you're visiting?" Ralph's mother asked curiously.  
  
"No- don't believe we have," Jack said, his weak smile fading.  
  
Ralph caught the expression on Jack's face quickly, and his own seemed to contract into a concerned look for Jack.  
  
"Something wrong?" Ralph asked, shifting his weight nervously.  
  
Jack lifted his eyebrows uncertainly, as though pondering something silently to himself.  
  
"Can I come in?" Jack requested.  
  
"Of course, dear," Ralph's mother said.  
  
Ralph stepped back, and lead the way into the living room, seating himself comfortably on the sofa. He looked over, and Jack sat on the sofa, a little away from Ralph. Ralph's mother remained standing, looking over the two boys, and for a minute or so, no one managed to think of anything to say.  
  
"I'll leave you two alone," Ralph's mother said with a sigh, then strolled off into the kitchen.  
  
Once Ralph was sure that his mother was out of earshot, he looked over at Jack.  
  
"So what's bothering you?" Ralph asked, surprised at his question's blatant structure.  
  
"How'd you--" Jack squeaked in a surprised tone.  
  
"I can still figure out that look on your face-- we've only been away from each other for what? Less than an hour?" Ralph grinned.  
  
"Guess I underestimated you," Jack shrugged, "but anyway."  
  
Ralph jerked his head forward, his body turned toward Jack now. He waited for Jack to say something, but he seemed to be fumbling with his own words.  
  
"Well, go on," Ralph urged.  
  
"My parents," Jack finally pushed out.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ralph asked, his eyes widening. "Are they in the hospital? How bad are they hurt? Will you--"  
  
"They're dead," Jack said solemnly.  
  
"What?" Ralph gasped, his tone unbelieving.  
  
Ralph desperately hoped that it was the easy-going Merridew spirit he had first met in Jack, just playing a cruel prank on him. Yet, the longer Ralph stared forward at Jack, the more he began to believe that he was telling him the truth.  
  
"You heard me," Jack snapped. "They're dead."  
  
That was Ralph's affirmation, and it took a harsh toll on him. Ralph's heart twisted and turned, and he felt a hollow feeling inside of him. They weren't his parents, but it was Jack he found himself so concerned for. The two words continued to buzz in his ears like a horrible noise-- 'They're dead..' 


	13. Empathy

Chapter 13: Empathy  
  
The words were deafening; ringing in Ralph's ears, the venom-filled phrase Jack had stated, seemed to be the loudest sound in the house, despite the occasional creaking floorboard. Finally, Ralph's blank gaze snapped back into the present, and he shook his head. His eyes darted toward Jack, and widened in sympathy. Jack's visage had been unchanged; his face looked as cold as stone, and his gaze was stern and serious, but Ralph could judge that it wouldn't last for long. From his experience with knowing Jack, Ralph understood that it took a lot to beat Jack down into sorrow, and the past few days would've easily passed the task.  
  
"I-- I'm sorry, Jack," Ralph said, his voice barely above a rather sorrowful whisper.  
  
"You don't need to apologize," Jack replied gruffly, "you didn't kill them."  
  
Ralph shook his head, and a bit of a weak smile crept over his face; the smile was weak, but not entirely true all the same, as it had been formed mostly out of pity and sympathy for Jack. Ralph realized how Jack must've been feeling, but nevertheless, silently thanked fate for not letting this happen in his life. But it dawned on Ralph that he had yet to come up with a comment to counter Jack's, for he had been silent for easily a minute.  
  
"Well, what'll you do? Where will you go? Do you have a guardian-- close family-- someone?" Ralph blurted out.  
  
"Close family?" Jack mock-laughed.  
  
"Well, wouldn't they take you in?" Ralph questioned.  
  
"I'd doubt it. My family's full of a bunch of snobs, they'd think I was some kind of wild boy from being gone so long," Jack muttered. "They'd end up sending me off to an orphanage or something of the like. And even there, fate's decided, eh? They all want children, not me. And after that, if one person would decide to take interest in the one no one wanted to take in, they'd hear my history, and discard me right away, because of some kind of belief that I would have rabies or some other disease. It's set in stone. I'd be the prep school student turned wild boy."  
  
Regarding the serious nature of their conversation, Ralph felt a bit out of place with his emotions, but Jack had included a bit of dry humor and wit, and Ralph couldn't help but laughing quietly.  
  
"Well, the school will take us back," Ralph interjected.  
  
"What? You seriously think the prep school will take us back? They'll think the same of all of us, exclude the littluns, maybe. Surely, they'll hear the news, they'll hear about Piggy and Simon, they'll hear about Roger and I, they'll hear about you, they'll hear about the tribes of the island. You really think their high-class stature is going to allow us 'wild boys' back into the school?" Jack ranted.  
  
For once, Ralph understood Jack's position in the conversation; he was right. Ralph realized that he would have an air of danger around him wherever he went, and even more so if someone recognized him. The same would count for Jack, and the rest of the 'biguns' from the island.  
  
"Sure, the littluns may get a better chance to reconcile themselves from this reputation, because they'll be viewed as the ones who were innocent on the island, and can overcome their problems. We'll be the ones who are regarded as barbarians with low intelligence levels, no morals, and lacking regular virtues. Can't you see it?" Jack continued.  
  
Ralph nodded, his empathy for Jack growing. He never recognized how well of a grip Jack had gotten on reality.  
  
"But I think that's something we can't deal with now," Ralph finally spoke up. "What we do need to deal with now is where you're going to live."  
  
Jack nodded, but then shrugged, replying, "I already told you-- I'll be sent off to some orphanage by my family."  
  
"Where that vicious cycle will begin, hm?" Ralph muttered.  
  
Jack nodded, "That seems to be the way it'll go."  
  
"Well, you're not going to the orphanage," Ralph grinned.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Jack demanded.  
  
Ralph laughed, "You're acting like you want to go to the orphanage."  
  
"Hell no!" Jack exclaimed. "But where to you propose I stay, then?"  
  
"Right here," Ralph beamed.  
  
"You're off your rocker!" Jack laughed.  
  
The tone in their conversation had grown considerably louder, and had sparked a bit of curiosity from Ralph's parents, who peeked into the room.  
  
"I'm serious!" Ralph grinned.  
  
"And when did you become your parents' authority?" Jack smirked.  
  
"Mom!" Ralph called.  
  
"I'm already here," Ralph's mother replied softly, stepping further into the room.  
  
"Oh, well, then you've heard our conversation?" Ralph inquired, somewhat sourly.  
  
"Certainly not enough of it," Ralph's mother said, in an uncertain tone.  
  
"To make it brief, my parents died," Jack interjected, -- and meanwhile Ralph's mother gasped loudly-- "and your son, here," he continued, motioning with his hand toward Ralph, "has his mind set on making me stay here, instead of going to my family, who'll end up sending me to an orphanage."  
  
There was a silence in the air, but its tone was not as deafening as it had been, previously. No longer was there a thick layer of sorrow in the atmosphere, for luckily, the two boys had managed to lighten up the mood. Both Jack and Ralph seemed to be realizing that factor, as they grinned at each other somewhat smugly. Now, that was the Merridew that Ralph knew. 


	14. Midnight

Chapter 14: Midnight  
  
Nightfall had grasped the day, and it was at least midnight in the household. After the discussion of Jack possibly living with Ralph, instead of being sent to his relatives' home and then to an orphanage seemed to have caused some dispute, but Ralph was determined to keep Jack from returning to his relatives'.  
  
The two boys were well awake, gazing up at the ceiling of Ralph's room. Ralph's parents decided to keep Jack at their house for the night. However, with the lack of a second bed, Jack offered to sleep on the floor-- or more so stubbornly decided to. And thus, a small makeshift bed of sheets and pillows in the middle of the room was set up.  
  
"Jack?" Ralph called quietly.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Mind me asking a rather personal question?"  
  
"I'm not entirely sure, but fire away."  
  
"Did you love them?"  
  
There was hesitation, but Jack eventually responded, "Clarify which who you mean, if you would."  
  
"Your parents."  
  
Once again, there was hesitation, but the response came.  
  
"I'd guess so. Not overwhelmingly, though. I see it as, no matter how much we attempt to convince ourselves that we don't love our parents, we know that we do-- even if it is simply a little. My parents didn't do much for me. They raised me until I was old enough to go to the prep school. They put a roof over my head and raised me before that. On holidays, I returned home and they did pay enough attention to me, without completely neglecting me. They were my parents, and that's about it. I'd have to say that I loved them, but don't make me compare them to someone else-- besides my relatives, now they didn't like me much in the first place."  
  
A soft chuckle came from Ralph, "So how'd they treat you-- your relatives, anyway?"  
  
"Ah, well, we'd visit my aunt and uncle on my dad's side most often-- as my mum didn't have any brothers or sisters. They've got two children of their own- one a boy, just a year younger than me, whose name is Joel; then there's a girl, younger than Joel, she's perhaps six now, Richelle. Joel's the nicer of the two, quite talkative, while Richelle is the stuck-up one, who acts like she's got an itch that she can't reach."  
  
Ralph chuckled softly, "And your aunt and uncle?"  
  
"Oh, they're far worse than Richelle. My Aunt Caprice had a childhood grudge on my father, and my Uncle Quincy-- it's sad-- seemed to have fancied my mum. He never made any direct comments or the like, but I could tell. I was just their hated offspring. On the holidays, we'd visit them in the late afternoon, usually eat dinner there, and afterwards, I'd be sent off with Joel and Richelle, while the rest would sit and drink evening tea, either conversing or bickering with each other. But, when we'd enter, it'd be, the happy greetings to my mum and dad, then they'd fake a happy greeting to me, then give me a glare, as telling me to take a seat and shut up. They didn't like me because they had mixed grudges about my parents. It was as simple as that. What about your relatives?"  
  
"My relatives are quite the eccentric ones. On my mum's side, there's Aunt Meredith; my family calls her Merry, actually. She's single, and personally, I believe I know why. She takes the positive outlook on life, but is over-excitable at the same time- however, she enjoys company of any time, and is somewhat young-- perhaps in her mid-twenties. But, I'm serious, she'd take in convicts of any kind for brunch on any given day, if she was given the chance."  
  
There was a muffled chuckle from Jack, but he silenced himself, allowing Ralph to continue.  
  
"Then there's Aunt Kailey and Uncle Terence on my dad's side, who are the usual caring aunt and uncle. Not much to say about them, really. We don't visit them much, because it's Aunt Merry who's always requesting us to visit."  
  
Jack remained silent, and stared around the dark room for a moment.  
  
"Oh, you're a lucky one in that area then," Jack said quietly. "You've got people who care about you."  
  
"But so do you, Jack," Ralph smiled.  
  
Jack opened his mouth to counter Ralph's statement, but he paused and let a grin break over his face. Jack understood what Ralph meant; he did have people who cared about him. 


	15. Like Children

Chapter 15: Like Children  
  
There was a loud crash in the room, and a figure came tumbling down to the floor off of a top bunk of a bunk bed. The figure hit the floor with a few curses under its breath, though still cloaked in a large blanket.  
  
"What the BLOODY HELL did you do that for?" Jack's weary voice demanded, peeking his head out from under the blanket.  
  
"Well, I did it because I could," Ralph smirked, standing proudly upon the top bunk.  
  
"Damn good reason you've got there, you arse," Jack smirked, throwing the blanket off of his form, and climbing onto the top bunk.  
  
As Jack leapt up on the bunk, Ralph secured his feet in place. Jack smirked, and pushed Ralph to the side, trying to throw him off of the bunk; Ralph returned equal strength.  
  
"You're going down, Ralph!" Jack laughed.  
  
Ralph smirked and shouted, "Oh, I think not, Jack!"  
  
Suddenly, Ralph's mother emerged from the hallway; she glared at the two boys, her hands on her hips.  
  
"Boys, you're acting like children here!" Ralph's mother smirked. "It's almost as if you were biological brothers!"  
  
"You never know," Ralph laughed, but meanwhile stopped pushing against Jack.  
  
"Well, we are brothers, in a way," Jack smirked, easing his tactics, as well.  
  
Ralph's mother gazed around the room, now messy with clothes, and now the blanket on the floor. She looked back up at Ralph and Jack, and let out a small chuckle.  
  
"I honestly don't know what possessed me to adopt you, Jack," Ralph's mother laughed.  
  
"Why, I'm insulted, Cheryl," Jack huffed.  
  
"Now you're calling her Cheryl, again?" Ralph smirked.  
  
Jack leapt off of the top bunk, and firmly nodded to Ralph.  
  
"It is her name, isn't it? I've no right to call her mum," Jack grinned.  
  
"Oh, you let it slip from time to time, mister," Ralph's mother added in.  
  
"My apologies," Jack said, picking up his blanket and tossing it to Ralph.  
  
"Oh, come now, it's the start of the summer holidays, lighten up," Ralph's mother laughed.  
  
"But mum, I thought we were acting like children," Ralph interjected.  
  
"Don't spoil the moment," Jack smirked, seating himself upon the bottom bunk.  
  
"Wait, that's MY bunk!" Ralph shouted, leaping down from the top bunk.  
  
As Ralph hit the floor, he leapt onto his bunk, tackling Jack onto the bed; the two put up a fight tossing each other here and there.  
  
"Just like children-- hard to believe it's been nearly two years," Ralph's mother said to herself, in a quite, and amused tone.  
  
Ralph's mother turned, and left the room, closing the door behind her. At the moment, Ralph and Jack froze up. Jack quickly scrambled off of the bed, and gazed around the room.  
  
"Two years, was she serious about that?" Jack asked quietly.  
  
"She keeps track of things like that," Ralph replied.  
  
"How sentimental," Jack said, a small smirk forming across his face.  
  
"You arse," Ralph laughed, lunging out from the bunk, and tackling Jack to the floor.  
  
Both of the boys broke out in a fit of laughter, in yet another wrestling match on the floor. They were brothers, but it seemed that they had always been that way-- even on the island.  
  
**End.**  
  
-------------------------  
  
[This is it! The end! I finished it! It's no longer the story without an end! LOL! Thanks to EVERYONE who reviewed; you've all been great. And just as by request, I completed the story without slash. It got tempting for a moment, but I finished it without any. I may write an alternate scene if I'm possessed enough to, but this is the official story. XD Also, I decided if this story had a theme song, it'd be 'Don't Stop Dancing' by Creed. Very nice song, listen to it some time. ^.^ Again, I really hope you enjoyed it-- it took me a hell of a long time to write. Thanks, once again!]  
  
OH! You know I couldn't leave it out--  
  
+Dedication+ -- I know, the dedication usually comes at the beginning of the story, but this one is at the end. I dedicate this story to two people, firstly-- running with scissors/her other pen names along the way. She's been a loyal reviewer to this story, and several others of mine. I huge thank you to her. The second person-- Broadwaypoetess; again, she's been a loyal reviewer to not only this story, but many others of mine. Too many memories with her, and she dealt with me while I wrote a chapter of this on the bus trip to Boston. LOL. Big thanks to Broadwaypoetess! Finally, the last dedication is to the hotel paper I wrote on, while on my vacation in D.C. Every night, I'd write a chapter or two of this story on it while I was there, hurting my hand-- but I never ran out of the paper. Yay for small pieces of hotel paper! ^.^  
  
Thanks EVERYONE! 


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